ENGLISH WRITING - BACHILLERATO 2 - WRITING SKILLS

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English Grammar - Writing skills for Bachillerato 2.

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WRITING SKILLSPersonal Descriptions Beginning Level Writing Practice - Introducing Yourself and Others

Read the following paragraph. Notice that this paragraph describes the person who is writing the introductory paragraph.

Hello, my name is James. I'm a programmer and I come from Chicago. I live in Seattle with my wife Jennifer. We have two children and a dog. The dog is very funny. I work at a computer company in the city. The company is very famous and successful. Our daughter is named Anna and our Son is named Peter. She is four years old and he is five. We like living and working in Seattle.

Tips for Writing a Personal Description about Yourself

Use 'come from' for the city or country where you were born. Use 'live' for the city where you currently live.

Use the present simple tense to explain what you do every day.

Use 'have' or 'have got' to speak about your children, pets, etc.

Use 'a' the first time you mention something. For example, I live in a house. Then use 'the' after the first time you write about it. For example, I live in a house. The house is in Seattle.

Remember to use he, his, him for boys and men and she, her, her for girls and women. Use 'our' when speaking about the whole family.

Use 'like doing' when speaking about hobbies.

Read the following paragraph. Notice that this paragraph describes a different person than the person who is writing the introductory paragraph.

Mary is my friend. She is a student at a college in our town. The college is very small. She lives in an apartment in the center of town. She doesn't have a dog or a cat. She studies every day and sometimes works in the evening at a small shop. The shop sells gift items like postcards, games and other small items. She enjoys playing golf, tennis and walking in the countryside.

Tips for Writing a Personal Description about a Friend

Remember to add 's' to the present simple tense when writing about other people.

In the present simple tense, 'doesn't' takes the 's' in the negative form. Remember to use 'doesn't + verb' in the negative.

Use sometimes, often, never, etc. before the main verb in a sentence.

Remember to use he, his, him for boys and men and she, her, her for girls and women.

Use 'enjoys doing' when speaking about hobbies. It's okay to connect a few verbs using commas, but place 'and' before the final verb in the list when speaking about someone's hobbies. For example, She enjoys playing tennis, swimming and riding horses.

Exercise

Write a paragraph about yourself. Try to use a variety of verbs and 'a' and 'the' correctly.

Write a paragraph about someone else. You can write about a friend or a someone from your family.

Compare the two paragraphs and note the differences in pronoun and verb use. For example, I live in Seattle BUT She lives in Chicago.
My house is in a suburb. BUT His house is in the city.

CAPITALIZATION RULES

Capitalize the pronoun "I" He asked me where I had bought my jacket.
If I see her, I will give her your message.Capitalize proper nouns I visited California on my vacation.
She gave Peter a present for his birthday.

There are many special rules concerning proper nouns. Generally, Proper nouns refer to specific people, places, things, pets, organizations, etc. Remember to always capitalize the name of someone or something. Here are some specific rules to follow: Capitalize North, South, East, and West when contained in the name of a place (state, country, etc.) but not when used for giving directions. My friend lives in South Carolina. BUT She lives in southern Europe.
We are planning a vacation in South Africa. BUT I'm going to visit my friends in eastern Oregon.

Capitalize the group name of members of an organization The Neighborhood Players are presenting a musical next week.
Some Washington Democrats would like to see the company up.

Capitalize company trademarks (product names) My niece loves Converse shoes.
Do you prefer Siesta or Aloha products?

Capitalize common names of periods of time in history The Psychedelic Sixties were pretty groovy baby!
The Dot Com Era lasted far shorter than many people expected.

Capitalize specific events I went to the Tomato Growers Conference in Salinas last weekend.
Have you ever attended the Technoland Convergence Festival?

Capitalize acronyms which refer to specific names I prefer to watch PBS tv whenever possible.
The ICAM commissioned a study on OBLOG.

Common nouns may be capitalized when used as names for the entire class of something. Some feel that Man is destined for outerspace!

Names of gods are capitalized, including Allah, Vishnu, and God. The word god is generally not capitalized if it is used to refer to the generic idea of a deity, nor is it capitalized when it refers to multiple gods. Wotan is one of the gods in Wagner's Ring Cycle.
The paster prayed that God should deliver us from our sins.

Capitalize days of the week, holidays, and months of the year. Do not capitalize seasons. She flew to Dallas in September.I love skiing in winter
Do you have any time on Monday? They visited Bob last summer.

Capitalize countries, languages, and nationalities (adjective form of a specific country) I lived in Italy for over 10 years.
Have you ever had any really expensive French wine?
Do you speak Russian?

Capitalize family relationships when used in place of a name Have you given Mom her present yet?
I think Dad needs some time off work.

Capitalize titles that come before names. Do not capitalize titles that follow names. The soldier wrote to General Smith and asked for advice. BUT George Washington was the first president of the United States.
Have you spoken to Vice Principal Smithers yet? BUT Peter Smith was elected mayor in 1995.

Capitalize letter salutations (openings) and closings Dear Mr. Smith,
Best regards,Special Capitalization Issues Capitalize the first word in a quote. This is true even if the quote occurs in the middle of a sentence. The last time I talked to Peter he said, "Study hard and get to bed early!"
Thomas Patterman was a simple man who said, "Give me life, liberty and a bottle of rum!"

Capitalize content words in titles. Remember that content words include nouns, pronouns, principal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Rainy Days and Mondays
How to Win Friends and Influence your Neighbors

Capitalize the first word in each line of poetry Roses are red
Violets are blue
I think I said He's in love with you!

COMBINING IDEAS TO WRITE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPHS

Para escribir prrafos bien construidos en ingls, debemos tener en cuenta que primero hay que tener una idea-guin bastante clara de lo que queremos decir. Los prrafos deben contener frases que expresen nuestras ideas de una forma directa y concisa.

Example:New York City is in the United States. It has many national and international banks.
New York City is located in New York State. It has many important skyscrapers.
It borders on the Atlantic Ocean.The World Trade Center is located in New York City.
It was founded in 1625 as "New Amsterdam".The Empire State Building is in New York City.
It was first settled by the Dutch.New York City is an important city for immigration.
It is important for commerce.Wall Street is located in New York City.

Ellis Island used to be the entry point for many immigrants at the turn of the century.There is an interesting immigration museum on Ellis Island. Cmo se combinan estas ideas sobre la ciudad de Nueva York en un slo prrafo:New York, New York is located on the Atlantic Coast of the United States of America. It was first settled as "New Amsterdam" in 1625 by the Dutch. Today, New York City is an important commercial and banking center which includes Wall Street. Among its many important skyscrapers are the World Trade Center and The Empire State Building. One of the most interesting museums is on Ellis Island which served as the entry point for many immigrants who passed through New York City at the turn of the century.

REPORTING CONVERSATIONS: HE SAID / SHE SAID. --- VOCAL VERBS & ADVERBS

It's common to use the verb 'say' over and over again when reporting conversations. The use of he said / she said becomes tiresome after time. Not only is he said she said repetitive, but it is not very descriptive. To better describe the feelings behind the reported speech and other statements in narrative writing, it's important to use vocal verbs and adverbs.

Vocal verbs and adverbs help provide motivation behind statements, questions and replies and convey important information to readers. Each vocal verb and vocal adverb has a short description of typical usage, as well as an example statement illustrating how to replace he said she said with something much more descriptive.

Vocal VerbsVocal verbs provide information on the tone of the statement. For example, the vocal verb 'moan' indicates that something is said in a complaining fashion in a low voice. These vocal verbs are grouped by a general indication of the type of statement made.

Say Suddenly blurt (soltar), exclaim (exclamar), gasp (gritar, jadear), snap (decir bruscamente).

Alison blurted out the answer.
Jack gasped in reaction to the scene.
I snapped a quick response to his question.

Provide Advice / Opinion advise (aconsejar), argue (discutir), caution (advertir, informar), note (apuntar, anotar), observe (observar), warn (advertir, alertar).

Pete cautioned the children to be careful.
The teacher observed that the exercise was difficult.
The driver warned his passengers about the noise.

Say Loudly exclaim, bellow, call, cry, scream, shout, yell.

She shouted out the answer.
The boys screamed as they dived into the cold water.
The mother cried out in disdain when her son was accused of the crime.

Say Softly (used as a complaint) groan (refunfuar), moan (quejarse), mumble (farfullar), mutter (murmurar). // whisper (susurrar)

Jack mumbled his responses to the questions.
He muttered so badly that they couldn't understand him.
I moaned that I was hurt. Say with Authority / Command announce (anunciar), assert (afirmar, reafirmar), order (ordenar, mandar).

The teacher announced the exam at the end of the week.
Jane asserted her rights as a voter.
The police ordered the protesters away from the area.

Vocal AdverbsVocal verbs provide information on the manner in which the statement is made. Vocal adverbs are often used to provide additional information on the feeling that the speaker has when making a statement. For example, the vocal adverb 'joyfully' indicates that something is said with great joy. For example: He joyfully exclaimed the news! indicates that the speaker is happy when making the statement. Compare this to: He arrogantly exclaimed the news. which conveys very different information about the speaker.

Common Vocal Adverbs admiringly - indicates: respect for someone Alice admiringly noticed his clothes.
angrily - indicates: with anger She angrily denounced his crimes.
casually - indicates: without much importance She casually conceded her mistake.
cautiously - indicates: in a careful manner She cautiously mentioned the extra homework.
cheerfully - indicates: joy, happiness. Frank cheerfully agreed to do the job.
decisively - indicates: belief in statement made Ken decisively replied to the question.
defiantly - indicates: challenge to something Peter defiantly taunted his classmates.
formally - indicates: proper, correct Josh formally complained to the personnel department.
gloomily - indicates: without much belief in something I gloomily remarked that I was aware of the problem.
harshly - indicates: critical judgement The teacher harshly scolded the children.
jealously - indicates: wanting something that someone else has Mary jealously whined the wanted some of the ice cream.
meekly - indicates: without much conviction Jennifer meekly mumbled her apology.
mysteriously - indicates: mystery, unexplained situations Susan mysteriously warned us about the town in Utah.
offensively - indicates: rudeness Alan offensively argued his point about schooling.
sadly - indicates: sadness Thomas sadly observed that his business was bankrupt.
serenely - indicates: peace, complete belief in something Alice serenely responded to the investigators questions.
shyly - indicates: without conviction, shyness The customer shyly complained about the food to the manager.
sternly - indicates: authority The teacher sternly stated that all reports were due on Friday.
thankfully - indicates: gratitude Jane thankfully accepted the job offer.
wisely - indicates: wisdom, smart decision Angela wisely commented on the situation.

PERSUASIVE WRITING FOR AND AGAINST

Read the following paragraphs. Notice that this paragraph presents the pros and cons of a shorter work week.

Introducing a short work week may lead to both positive and negative affects on society. For workers, the advantages of shortening the work week include more free time. This will lead to stronger family relationships, as well as better physical and mental health for all. An increase in free time should lead to more service sector jobs as people find ways to enjoy their extra leisure time. What is more, companies will need to hire more workers to keep production up to past levels of a standard forty hour work week. All together, these benefits will not only improve quality of life, but also grow the economy as a whole.On the other hand, a shorter work week may damage the ability to compete in the global workplace. Moreover, companies may be tempted to outsource positions to countries where longer work weeks are common. Another point is that companies will need to train more workers to make up for the lost productivity hours. To sum up, companies will likely have to pay a steep price for shorter work weeks.In summary, it is clear that there would be a number of positive gains for individual workers if the work week were shortened. Unfortunately, this move could easily cause companies to look elsewhere for qualified staff. In my opinion, the net positive gains outweigh the negative consequences of such a move towards more free time for all.Tips for Writing a For and Against Argument

Before you begin, write down at least five positive points, and five negative points for your argument.

Begin your writing by making a statement about the general statement about outcome of an action, or the overall situation.

Dedicate the first paragraph to one side of the argument. This can be either positive or negative. Generally, it is the side with which you agree.

The second paragraph should contain the other side of the argument.

The final paragraph should shortly summarize both paragraphs, and provide your own general opinion on the matter.

Helpful LanguageExpressing Both Sides pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages, plus and minus

Providing Additional Arguments

What is more,Further,
In addition to ..., the Not only will ..., but ... will also Showing Contrast However, On the other hand, Although ..., Unfortunately,

Ordering First of all, Then, Next, Finally,

Summarizing To sum up, In conclusion, In summary, All things considered,

Expressing Your Opinion In my opinion, I feel / think that , Personally,

Exercise

Choose an for and against argument from one of the following themesAttending College / University
Getting Married
Having Children
Changing Jobs
MovingWrite down five positive points and five negative points

Write down an overall statement of the situation (for introduction and first sentence)

Write down your own personal opinion (for final paragraph)

Summarize both sides in one sentence if possible

Use your notes to write a For and Against Argument using the helpful language provided


SENTENCE CONNECTORS AND SENTENCES

Some examples of sentence connectors:

1) Food and drink prices in New York are very high. 2) Renting an apartment in New York is very expensive. Using a sentence connector: Food and drink prices in New York are very high; furthermore, renting an apartment is very expensive.

1) Life in New York is very expensive. 2) Life in New York can be extremely exciting. Using a sentence connector: Despite the fact that life in New York is very expensive, it can be extremely exciting.

1) Life in New York is very expensive. 2) Many people would love to live in New York. Using a sentence connector: Many people would love to live in New York; consequently, life in New York is very expensive.

Sentence connectorsShowing opposition

Type of ConnectorConnector(s)Examples

Coordinating conjunctionbutHigh level positions are stressful at times, but professionals can learn to manage their stress levels.

Subordinating conjunctionsalthough, despite the fact thatDespite the fact that high level positions are stressful at times, professionals can learn to manage their stress levels.

Conjunctive adverbshowever, neverthelessHigh level positions are stressful at times; nevertheless, professionals can learn to manage their stress levels.

Prepositional phrasesdespite, in spite ofIn spite of the stressful nature of high level positions, professionals can learn to manage their stress levels.

Showing cause / effect

Type of ConnectorConnector(s)Examples

Coordinating conjunctions for (cause), so (effect) Professionals can sometimes be extremely impatient, for their positions are at times rather stressful.

Subordinating conjunctions because, since Since high level positions are at times rather stressful, professionals can sometimes be extremely impatient.

Conjunctive adverbs therefore, as a result, consequently High level positions are at times rather stressful; therefore, professionals can sometimes be extremely impatient.

Prepositions because of, due to, as a result of Due to the stressful nature of high level positions, professionals can sometimes be extremely impatient.

Showing addition

Type of ConnectorConnector(s)Examples

Coordinating Conjunction andHigh level positions are stressful at times, and can be harmful to your health.

Conjunctive adverbs in addition, additionally, furthermore, moreover, alsoHigh level positions are stressful at times; furthermore, they can be harmful to your health

Correlative conjunctions not only...but alsoNot only are high level positions stressful at times, but they also can be harmful to your health.

Prepositional phrases in addition to, along with, as well as Along with being stressful, high level positions can also be harmful to your health.

Showing comparison

Type of ConnectorConnector(s)Examples

Coordinating Conjunction and...tooHigh level positions are stressful, and can be harmful to your health too.

Subordinating conjunction just asJust as high level positions are stressful, they can be harmful to your health.

Conjunctive adverbs.similarly, in comparisonHigh level positions are stressful at times; similarly, they can be harmful to your health.

Prepositions like, similar toSimilar to other important professions, high level business positions are stressful at times.

Showing contrast

Type of ConnectorConnector(s)Examples

Coordinating conjunction butHigh level positions are stressful at times, but the financial rewards make these positions very desirable indeed.

Subordinating conjunctions whereas, whileWhile high level positions are stressful at times, the financial rewards make these positions very desirable indeed.

Conjunctive adverbs in contrast, on the other handHigh level positions are stressful at times; on the other hand, the financial rewards make these positions very desirable indeed.

Prepositions unlikeUnlike the undesirable stress of high level positions, the financial rewards make these positions very desirable indeed.

Showing condition

Type of ConnectorConnector(s)Examples

Subordinating conjunctions if, unless, only if, even ifIf you consider the financial rewards of high level positions, the stressful nature of these positions becomes less important.

Conjunctive adverb otherwiseYou should remember the financial rewards of high level positions; otherwise, you might find the stressful nature of these positions too demanding.

SENTENCE TYPESThere are four sentence types in English. The first sentence type is the most common:

Declarative A declarative sentence "declares" or states a fact, arrangement or opinion. Declarative sentences can be either positive or negative. A declarative sentences ends with a period (.). I'll meet you at the train station.
The sun rises in the East.
He doesn't get up early.

Imperative The imperative commands (or sometimes requests). The imperative takes no subject as 'you' is the implied subject. The imperative form ends with either a period (.) or an exclamation point (!). Open the door.
Finish your homework
Pick up that mess.

Interrogative The interrogative asks a question. In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb precedes the subject which is then followed by the main verb (i.e., Are you coming ....?). The interrogative form ends with a question mark (?). How long have you lived in France?
When does the bus leave?
Do you enjoy listening to classical music?

Exclamatory The exclamatory form emphasizes a statement (either declarative or imperative) with an exclamation point (!). Hurry up!
That sounds fantastic!
I can't believe you said that!

All of these sentence types further fall into four basic sentence type categories in English.

Simple

Compound

Complex

Compound - Complex

Simple Sentences Simple sentences contain no conjunction (i.e., and, but, or, etc.). Frank ate his dinner quickly.
Peter and Sue visited the museum last Saturday.
Are you coming to the party? Compound Sentences Compound sentences contain two statements that are connected by a conjunction (i.e., and, but, or, etc.). I wanted to come, but it was late.
The company had an excellent year, so they gave everyone a bonus.
I went shopping, and my wife went to her classes. Complex Sentences Complex sentences contain a dependent clause and at least one independent clause. The two clauses are connected by a subordinator (i.e, which, who, although, despite, if, since, etc.). My daughter, who was late for class, arrived shortly after the bell rang.
That's the man who bought our house
Although it was difficult, the class passed the test with excellent marks. Compound - Complex Sentences Compound - complex sentences contain at least one dependent clause and more than one independent clause. The clauses are connected by both conjunctions (i.e., but, so, and, etc.) and subordinators (i.e., who, because, although, etc.) John, who briefly visited last month, won the prize, and he took a short vacation.
Jack forgot his friend's birthday, so he sent him a card when he finally remembered.
The report which Tom complied was presented to the board, but it was rejected because it was too complex.

A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF CONJUNCTIONS

Una connjuncin es una palabra que enlaza palabras, frases u oraciones. Hay tres tipos de conjunciones: coordinante, correlativa y subordinante.

Las coordinantes pueden unir palabras sueltas o grupos de palabras, pero siempre deben unir elementos similares (por ejemplo: sujeto+sujeto, verbo+verbo, frase+frase). Cuando esta conjuncin se usa para unir elementos, estos se convierten en (elementos) compuestos.

Las correlativas tambin conectan elementos en las oraciones que son del mismo tipo: sin embargo, a diferencia de las coordinantes, las conjunciones correlativas siempre se usan por parejas.

Las subordinantes (el mayor grupo de conjunciones), conectan oraciones subordinadas a una oracin principal. En este caso, utilizamos adverbios como conjunciones.

Las siguientes tabals muestran ejemplos de los varios tipos de conjunciones y algunas frases modelo. Ya que las conjunciones coordinantes y las correlativas son grupos cerrados de palabras, todas estn incluidas en la lista. Las conjunciones subordinantes son mucho ms numerosas por eso tenemos solo los ejemplos ms comunes en la lista.

Coordinating conjunctions For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.Cuando utilizamos una conjuncin para unir dos oraciones, debemos usar una coma antes de la conjuncin.AND [noun phrase+noun phrase] We have tickets for the symphony and the opera.

BUT [sentence+sentence] The orchestra rehearses on Tuesday, but the chorus rehearses on Wednesday.

OR [verb+verb] Have you seen or heard the opera by Scott Joplin?

SO [sentence+sentence] I wanted to sit in the front of the balcony, so I ordered my tickets early.

Correlative conjunctions both...and // not only...but also // either...or // neither...nor // whether...or both...and [subject+subject] Both my sister and my brother play the piano.

either...or [noun+noun] Tonight's program is either Mozart or Beethoven.

neither...nor [subject+subject] Neither the orchestra nor the chorus was able to overcome the terrible acoustics in the church.

not only...but also [sentence+sentence] Not only does Sue raise money for the symphony, but she also ushers at all of their concerts.

Subordinating conjunctionsLas conjunciones subordinantes son las ms importantes para crear oraciones subordinadas. Estos adverbios que actan como conjunciones se colocan al principio de la oracin. La frase adverbial puede ir o antes o despus de la oracin principal.Los subordinantes son normalmente una sola palabra, pero hay tambin un nmero de subordinantes de ms de una palabra que funcionan como una sola conjuncin. Las conjunciones subordinantes pueden ser clasificadas segn su uso en relacin al tiempo, causa y efecto, oposicin o condicin. Debemos poner una coma al final de la frase adeverbial cuando sta precede a la oracin principal.TIME after, before, when, while, since, until.CAUSE AND EFFECT because, since, now that, as, in order that, soOPPOSITION although, though, even though, whereas, whileCONDITION if, unless, only if, whether or not, even if, in case (that) after We are going out to eat after we finish taking the test.

Since Since we have lived in Atlanta, we have gone to every exhibit at the High Musuem.

While While I was waiting in line for the Matisse Exhibit, I ate my lunch.

Although Although the line was long and the wait over two hours, the exhibit was well worth it.

even if Even if you have already bought your ticket, you will still need to wait in line.

Because I love Matisse's works because he uses color so brilliantly.

VERB TENSES IN ENGLISH(active)TRADUCCIN

VERB TENSEEXAMPLEHOW TO FORM

Present. I eatBase form (add -s for 3PS)Yo como.

Past.I ateSimple past Yo com.

Present continous. I am eatingPresent form of 'be' + [base form + -ing] Yo estoy comiendo.

Past continuous. I was eating.Past form of 'be' + [base form + -ing] Yo estaba comiendo

Present PerfectI have eaten. Present form of 'have' + past participle Yo he comido.

Past PerfectI had eaten. Past form of 'have' + past participle Yo haba comido.

Present Perfect continuousI have been eating. Present form of 'have' + been + [base form + -ing] Yo he estado comiendo.

Past Perfect continuousI had been eating. Past form of 'have' + been + [base form + -ing] Yo haba estado comiendo.

Future simple + Base Form I will eat.will + base formYo comer.

Future continuous. I will be eatingwill + be + [base form + -ing] Yo estar comiendo.

Future Perfect I will have eaten.Will + have + past participle Yo habr comido.

Future Perfect continuousI will have been eating. Will + have + been + past participle Yo habr estado comiendo.